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July 7th, 2017 
Awake Goy 
nsnbc : The European Union Parliament has recommended that accession talks for Turkey into the EU be suspended. The EU MP’s stressed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s expressed support for the reintroduction of the death penalty and other backsliding in the rule of law, among other reasons to suspend accession talks.
At an anti-Erdogan rally in Denmark, in November 2016. People voting with their feet. Image nsnbc – Christof Lehmann
The EU Parliament issued a statement after a plenary session on Thursday, explaining that “Turkey’s EU accession talks should be suspended if proposed changes to the constitution go ahead, as these go against EU membership criteria.”
The resolution was approved by a 477-64 margin with 97 abstentions. “Together with you [the Turkish people] we hope ‘Adalet’ (justice) will return to Turkey soon,” stated the EU parliament’s rapporteur Kati Piri of the Netherlands.
Members of European Parliament (MEPs) condemned the repeatedly declared support for the reintroduction of the death penalty by the Turkish President. On April 16, 2017 Erdogan spoke to a crown in Istanbul, saying “If (a bill) comes before me, I will approve it. But, (referring to opposition parties) if there isn’t support, then we could have another referendum for that.” Erdogan added that the adoption of such a law would be “paying respect to our martyrs”.
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker previously described the death penalty as a “red line” for accession. Members of the EU Commission also expressed concern about Turkey backsliding in the rule of law, human rights, media freedom, and the fight against corruption.
The MEPs, for their part, did acknowledge that 2016 was a particularly “difficult” year for Turkey due to war in Syria, influx of refugees and “a string of heinous terror attacks and a coup attempt.” Neither Turkey’s or EU-members’ role in manufacturing or aggravating the war in Syria was mentioned within this context.
The Turkish people confirmed 18 constitutional amendments via referendum in April, giving the presidency greater powers. For nearly a year now, the country has also extended its state of emergency decree following the failed military coup on July 15, 2016. It should be noted that the referendum was held under emergency law, with opposition MPs from Turkey’s leftist HDP behind bars, with the right to free assembly severely limited, and with media being under increasingly restrictive state control.
CH/L – nsnbc 07.07.2017
Source Article from https://nsnbc.me/2017/07/07/eu-mps-recommend-suspending-talks-on-turkeys-eu-membership/
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